離開
進入《TAIPEI TIMES 焦點》 Taiwan reliable partner to ASEAN: Tsai
President Tsai Ing-wen speaks at a Taiwan-ASEAN symposium in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Peter Lo, Taipei Times
By Stacy Hsu / Staff reporter
Taiwan would be ASEAN’s most reliable partner in its endeavors to promote further integration, President Tsai Ing-wen （蔡英文） said yesterday, as she announced that her government’s “new southbound policy” has entered the operational phase.
Tsai made the remarks at the first Taiwan-ASEAN Dialogue — held at the Shangri-la Far Eastern Plaza Hotel in Taipei — which was organized by the Prospect Foundation think tank, the Indonesian Council on World Affairs and the Indonesia-based nonprofit Habibie Center at the behest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Among the attendees were Minister of the Foreign Affairs David Lee （李大維）, former ASEAN secretary-general Surin Pitsuwan, Indonesian Council on World Affairs governing board chairman Makarim Wibisono and Prospect Foundation president Mark Chen （陳唐山）.
“Since its founding in 1967, ASEAN has grown to 10 member states, with a combined population of more than 600 million people. Today, ASEAN is Taiwan’s second-biggest trade partner and our second-biggest export market,” Tsai said in her opening remarks.
In addition to economics and trade, there are impressive people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and ASEAN members, which accounted for 40 percent of foreign students studying in Taiwan last year, Tsai said.
These have created a very strong foundation for the nation to build on and to take Taiwan-ASEAN cooperation to the next level, Tsai said, adding that her administration has already integrated public and private sector resources to develop comprehensive links with individual ASEAN members and the entire regional market.
“Like ASEAN, Taiwan is an important member of the Asia-Pacific region. We have a responsibility to contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity. We fully embrace our role, and as ASEAN embarks on further integration, Taiwan will be a most reliable partner for ASEAN on this journey,” Tsai said, referring to ASEAN Community Vision 2025, a plan that aims to sustain the momentum of regional integration and improve ASEAN community-building efforts.
Tsai’s “new southbound policy” has entered the operational phase, as the Executive Yuan has taken the lead in implementing policy guidelines finalized by the Presidential Office and the National Security Council, she said.
“To put it in simple and concrete terms, we want to achieve three objectives in our relations with ASEAN and South Asian nations, and Australia and New Zealand,” strengthening mutual understanding, steadily expanding two-way exchanges and forging strong and comprehensive partnerships, Tsai said.
Taiwan will endeavor to sign economic cooperation agreements with major trade partners and renew bilateral investment protection and tax treaties, among other objectives, she said.
The government plans to hold events and exhibitions about Taiwan in major ASEAN cities, expand the role of the nation’s international agricultural development companies and recruit more foreign students, Tsai added.
“Of course, we will continue to share our development experience with our ASEAN friends, through official interactions, private investment, people-to-people exchanges and other means. There is a lot to do, and a lot to be excited about,” the president said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
